Fire Service prepares for annual Olympiad

And to round out our coverage, we report on a competition that, while not technically a sport, combines all the elements of skill, strategy, and physical conditioning.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Which team will top this year’s fire fighting Olympiad? This weekend fire fighters from across the country will converge on Punta Gorda to display their skills in competition with each other and the clock.

Michael Middleton, Operation Mgr., National Fire Service
“We go with time. We have about ten drills and overall it’s the team with the least time which wins the overall event.”

“We have pump drills, we have hose drills, we have we have breathing apparatus drills, we have rescue drills; those are the four drills that we have in the Olympiad.”

According to Operations Manager Michael Middleton, without the support of businesses like RFG Insurance, they would not be able to reward the men and women for their accomplishments. By the way, this year’s trophies were designed by the fire fighting crew themselves.

But as the National Fire Service prepares for this weekend’s challenge, they are also observing fire safety week.

Michael Middleton
“This is our second Fire Safety Week. The first was held some twenty years ago, the theme for this year’s Fire Safety Week is: Fire Safety is Everybody’s Responsibility. The reason for having this Fire Safety Week is to sensitise the general public on the risks and hazards involved when dealing with fires.”

According to Middleton, last week they responded to at least six incidents. It is not certain if the children caught at most of the locations started the bush fires, but parents are being advised to look after their kids, especially around this time of the year.

Michael Middleton
“The summer we are looking at keeping your kids nearby or keeping an eye on your kids. We know they are on holidays and that’s a big problem right now.”